#EPPCohesionMonitoring

Mission in Arad, Romania, Dec 2023

Welcome

Arad is a textbook example of good planning and management in combination with EU cohesion financing. However, just like in Bulgaria, the positive impact of EU's transport infrastructure projects is undermined by the delayed accession to the Schengen area

Andrey NOVAKOV
Chair of EPP Cohesion Monitoring Group

EU investments in local and regional projects all over Romania mean money well spent. These results have transformed Romania's economy into one of the fastest-growing among EU Member States.

Arad, a mid-size city on the western border with Hungary, and the main terrestrial customs area between Romania and Western Europe, serves as a shining example of how EU funds have improved not only the infrastructure, connecting Eastern and Western Europe, but also the lives of its citizens.

While visiting Arad, EPP MEPs will witness the transformations that have occurred in the sixteen years since Romania's EU accession.

However, a purely political decision for Romania and Bulgaria’s membership into Schengen Area is undermining these successful investments and EU cohesion, despite repeated positive assessments by all EU institutions. Now, Romania and Bulgaria are working together to address this undeserved treatment.'

Our EPP visit will enable MEPs to gain a deeper understanding of the situation and assess the progress-achieved first-hand. Europe is effective, Europe is robust, but it also needs to act in a more cohesive manner to ensure that no country or citizen feels discriminated against or left behind.

Gheorghe FALCĂ
MEP

Background

The goal of the mission to Romania would be to present the successful EU-funded projects and activities in the City of Arad. Arad is a medium-sized city, located in western Romania, with a population of 176,000. Arad is a county seat, being currently the most important urban centre in Arad County, concentrating in 2011 approximately 36.9% of its population (430,629 inhabitants). Arad is the most important border city in the country, the main gateway to Western Europe, a trans-European road and rail transportation junction point included in the 4th Pan-European Corridor linking Western Europe to South-Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries and a road and rail TEN-T node on the Rhine-Danube and Orient/East–Mediterranean corridors. The city has an extensive light rail network and a few bus lines. Arad Airport, with a cargo terminal, is situated 4 km from downtown Arad.

The capital of Arad County and an important industrial centre and transportation hub at Romania’s Western gateway, the city of Arad is gifted with a rich architectural heritage and a generous natural environment, mainly due to the Mureș River. Arad owns the most extensive network of tramway lines in Romania compared to the urban area (171 km) and the longest urban network of cycling lanes in the country (135 km), with one of the highest rates of bicycle use nationally. The Municipality of Arad has gradually invested in projects aimed at sustainable urban mobility. This started with concrete actions in the 2007-2013 programming period when a sustainable urban mobility plan did not yet even exist. At that time, the projects aimed at setting up a network of bike lanes (the first in Romania), modernizing public transport and configuring the pedestrian zone between Avram Iancu Square and Catedralei Square. With regards to the city’s multicultural heritage, Arad has a rich cultural and historical patrimony. It offers to the visitors a real out-door museum of architectural styles specific to the XVIII, XIX and XX centuries. Arad is a city of impressive buildings and architecture, with many of the most important sights located along the broad tree-lined main boulevard.

Furthermore, the main purpose of the mission would be to visit the EU-funded projects and to organise a press briefing with the Mayor of the City of Arad, the President of the County Council of Arad, MEP Gheorghe Falcă, former Mayor of Arad for four mandates (until EU elections in 2019) and the representatives of the local authorities on the topic of the ‘Arad – the main road and rail TEN-T node on the Rhine-Danube and Orient/East–Mediterranean corridors.’ Opportunities and significance of the EU funded projects for the local communities – and its positive impact on the daily lives of our citizens. The purpose of the meeting with representatives of local authorities in the municipality of Arad is to discuss the further potential of EU cohesion policy, the obstacles to its implementation and the simplification of rules.

All activities related to this visit of EPP Group MEPs to Arad, Romania are being coordinated by MEP Gheorghe Falcă from Arad, Romania.

SPEAKERS

(Listed Alphabetically)

Andrey Novakov

Chair of the EPP Cohesion Monitoring Group

Csaba Toth

Prefect of Arad County (EPP)

Gheorghe Falcă

MEP

Glad Varga

EPP Member of the Romanian Parliament

Iustin Cionca

President of County Council

Lazăr Faur

Vice-Mayor of the City of Arad

Marian Jean Marinescu

EPP

Pașca Mihai

EPP Justice State Secretary of Romania

Sergiu Bîlcea

EPP Member of the Romanian Parliament

13:45

Arrival to Timișoara Airport

Person welcoming the participants: Dan Codre (+40723791654) – transfer with a mini bus

14:45

Arrival to the City of Arad, Romania

15:00

Visit to the EU-funded project

Bridge construction site over the Mureș River

30 min

15:30

Going to Colegiul Național, Moise Nicoară

15 min

15:45

Visit to the EU-funded project

“Moise Nicoară” National College – a historical monument, was modernized with EU funds;

Meeting with Ms. Diana Achim – Director of “Moise Nicoară” National College;

30 min

Bulevardul General Dragalina, Arad

16:15

Visit to the EU-funded project

Filarmonica Arad – Cultural Palace

20 min

P-ța G. Enescu Nr. 1, Arad

16:40

Visit to the EU-funded project

Arad Railway Station – The modernization of Arad Railway Station was part of a project with European funding, for the modernization of the railway on Section 1: Frontieră–Curtici–Arad–Km 614, part of the IV Pan-European Corridor, a project whose aim was to modernize the railway for the movement of trains with a maximum speed of 160 km/h (trains on medium speed);

20 min

Piața Gării 8-9, Arad

17:00

Traveling by train from Arad to Curtici

15 min

17:30

Visit to the EU-funded project in Curtici, Romania

Trade Trans Terminal Secure Parking – the European Commission within the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) under the title Action 2019-EU-TMC-0323 W. supports the cross-border project. At the same time, the project is consistent with the objectives of the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) to create interconnected solutions for transport, in this case, providing parking solutions for transport companies and operators in Romania and Hungary;

Hybrid Locomotive – The first Romanian hybrid locomotive operates in Curtici, in Arad county, at the intermodal terminal of a logistics company. The new purchase is a 100% Romanian achievement, through the collaboration of two companies, one from Constanța, the other from Craiova, being the first hybrid locomotive built in Romania. The locomotive hauls trains from the intermodal terminal to the Curtici station, as well as to the border area. This locomotive is capable of pulling 600 meter long trains, which have a mass of 2,000 tons;

30 min